God hath often appeared in fire, and encompassed with fire, as
when he showed himself in the burning bush; and descended on Mount
Sinai, in the midst of flames, thunderings, and lightning, Exodus iii,
2; xix, 18. Hence fire is a symbol of the Deity: “The Lord thy God is a
consuming fire,” Deut. iv, 24. The Holy Ghost is compared to fire: “He
shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire,” Matt. iii, 11. To
verify this prediction, he sent the Holy Ghost, which descended upon his
disciples, in the form of tongues, or like flames of fire, Acts ii, 3.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit to enlighten, purify, and sanctify the
soul; and to inflame it with love to God, and zeal for his glory. Fire
from heaven fell frequently on the victims sacrificed to the Lord, as a
mark of his presence and approbation. It is thought, that God in this
manner expressed his acceptance of Abel’s sacrifices, Gen. iv, 4. When
the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, a fire like that of a furnace
passed through the divided pieces of the sacrifices, and consumed them,
Gen. xv, 17. Fire fell upon the sacrifices which Moses offered at the
dedication of the tabernacle, Lev. ix, 24; and upon those of Manoah,
Samson’s father, Judges xiii, 19, 20; upon Solomon’s, at the dedication
of the temple, 2 Chron. vii, 1; and on Elijah’s, at Mount Carmel, 1
Kings xviii, 38. The fire which came down from heaven, first upon the
altar in the tabernacle, and afterward descended anew upon the altar in
the temple of Solomon, at its consecration, was there constantly fed and
maintained by the priests, day and night, in the same manner as it had
been in the tabernacle. The Jews have a tradition, that Jeremiah,
foreseeing the destruction of the temple, took this fire and hid it in a
pit; but that at the rebuilding of the temple, being brought again from
thence, it revived upon the altar. But this is a fiction: and the
generality of them allow, that, at the destruction of the temple, it was
extinguished: and in the time of the second temple, nothing was made use
of for all their burnt offerings but common fire only. The ancient
Chaldeans adored the fire, as well as the old Persians, and some other
people of the east. The torments of hell are described by fire, both in
the Old and New Testament. Our Saviour makes use of this similitude, to
represent the punishment of the damned, Mark ix, 44. He likewise speaks
frequently of the eternal fire prepared for the devil, his angels, and
reprobates, Matt. xxv, 41. The sting and remorse of conscience is the
worm that will never die; and the wrath of God upon their souls and
bodies, the fire that shall never go out. There are writers who
maintain, that by the worm is to be understood a living and sensible,
not an allegorical and figurative, worm; and by fire, a real elementary
and material fire. Among the abettors of this opinion are Austin,
Cyprian, Chrysostom, Jerom, &c. The word of God is compared to fire: “Is
not my word like a fire?” Jer. xxiii, 20. It is full of life and
efficacy; like a fire it warms, melts, and heats; and is powerful to
consume the dross, and burn up the chaff and stubble. Fire is likewise
taken for persecution, dissension, and division: “I am come to send fire
on earth,” Luke xii, 49; as if it was said, upon my coming and
publishing the Gospel, there will follow, through the devil’s malice and
corruption of men, much persecution to the professors thereof, and
manifold divisions in the world, whereby men will be tried, whether they
will be faithful or not.
when he showed himself in the burning bush; and descended on Mount
Sinai, in the midst of flames, thunderings, and lightning, Exodus iii,
2; xix, 18. Hence fire is a symbol of the Deity: “The Lord thy God is a
consuming fire,” Deut. iv, 24. The Holy Ghost is compared to fire: “He
shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire,” Matt. iii, 11. To
verify this prediction, he sent the Holy Ghost, which descended upon his
disciples, in the form of tongues, or like flames of fire, Acts ii, 3.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit to enlighten, purify, and sanctify the
soul; and to inflame it with love to God, and zeal for his glory. Fire
from heaven fell frequently on the victims sacrificed to the Lord, as a
mark of his presence and approbation. It is thought, that God in this
manner expressed his acceptance of Abel’s sacrifices, Gen. iv, 4. When
the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, a fire like that of a furnace
passed through the divided pieces of the sacrifices, and consumed them,
Gen. xv, 17. Fire fell upon the sacrifices which Moses offered at the
dedication of the tabernacle, Lev. ix, 24; and upon those of Manoah,
Samson’s father, Judges xiii, 19, 20; upon Solomon’s, at the dedication
of the temple, 2 Chron. vii, 1; and on Elijah’s, at Mount Carmel, 1
Kings xviii, 38. The fire which came down from heaven, first upon the
altar in the tabernacle, and afterward descended anew upon the altar in
the temple of Solomon, at its consecration, was there constantly fed and
maintained by the priests, day and night, in the same manner as it had
been in the tabernacle. The Jews have a tradition, that Jeremiah,
foreseeing the destruction of the temple, took this fire and hid it in a
pit; but that at the rebuilding of the temple, being brought again from
thence, it revived upon the altar. But this is a fiction: and the
generality of them allow, that, at the destruction of the temple, it was
extinguished: and in the time of the second temple, nothing was made use
of for all their burnt offerings but common fire only. The ancient
Chaldeans adored the fire, as well as the old Persians, and some other
people of the east. The torments of hell are described by fire, both in
the Old and New Testament. Our Saviour makes use of this similitude, to
represent the punishment of the damned, Mark ix, 44. He likewise speaks
frequently of the eternal fire prepared for the devil, his angels, and
reprobates, Matt. xxv, 41. The sting and remorse of conscience is the
worm that will never die; and the wrath of God upon their souls and
bodies, the fire that shall never go out. There are writers who
maintain, that by the worm is to be understood a living and sensible,
not an allegorical and figurative, worm; and by fire, a real elementary
and material fire. Among the abettors of this opinion are Austin,
Cyprian, Chrysostom, Jerom, &c. The word of God is compared to fire: “Is
not my word like a fire?” Jer. xxiii, 20. It is full of life and
efficacy; like a fire it warms, melts, and heats; and is powerful to
consume the dross, and burn up the chaff and stubble. Fire is likewise
taken for persecution, dissension, and division: “I am come to send fire
on earth,” Luke xii, 49; as if it was said, upon my coming and
publishing the Gospel, there will follow, through the devil’s malice and
corruption of men, much persecution to the professors thereof, and
manifold divisions in the world, whereby men will be tried, whether they
will be faithful or not.